The present invention relates generally to fuzes, and more particularly to an activation device which will initiate functioning of a bomb fuze upon bomb ejection from an aircraft.
Historically, fuzes on bombs deployed from an aircraft have been initiated, or activated, by mechanical or electrical means. Mechanical activating devices generally employ an arming wire or some type of hardware to interconnect the bomb fuze to the bomb rack, with the arming wire mechanically locking the fuze to prevent its arming before the bomb is released from the aircraft. Electrical fuze activating devices employ an electrical connection between the bomb and the rack to control fuze activation, usually via a female socket on the bomb meshing with a male socket on the rack. Use of electrically-operated fuze activating devices provides greater flexibility in choosing the proper mode of fuze activation from the function control selector located in the cockpit.
Whichever means is used, though, some form of fuze activating control attachment between the bomb and the aircraft is essential. Existing systems possess a number of shortcomings. For example, time and manpower are required, in addition to the loading of the bombs, to effect and to disconnect, if necessary, the fuze-activation connections. Because of the complexity of the fuzes and the wide variations in the design of fuzes and aircraft bomb support racks, extensive training programs and operational manuals are required.
Substantial degradation of reliability and/or safety exist in many of the present fuze activation systems because of their complexity and because of the numerous manual procedures involved in the loading and unlocking of bombs and the connecting and disconnecting of the fuze activation mechanisms. Furthermore, particularly with the mechanical fuze activating mechanisms, some of the present concepts limit aircraft delivery tactics because of the limited fuze activating modes. In considering delivery tactics and impact accuracy, the activation of the fuze at bomb ejection offers a more precise time zero, i.e., the time basis from which fuze function is measured, which can improve safe bomb-aircraft separation and permit better fuze functioning, particularly in retard bomb delivery.